Dorchester County, SC Rental Property Rules: Rental Registration (2026)
Key Facts
- Rental registry
- None statewide or county
- Business license
- Required for landlords
- Renewal
- Annually, gross-receipts fee
- Deposit cap
- None in South Carolina
- Deposit return
- 30 days, Section 27-40-410
Summary
South Carolina has no statewide rental-registration or landlord-license law, and Dorchester County runs no rental-inspection registry. What it does require is a business license: a landlord renting property in the unincorporated county must hold a Dorchester County business license, and Summerville landlords need the town's.
If a landlord (1) rents more than four adjoining dwelling units on the premises, and (2) imposes different standards for calculating security/rental deposits required of different tenants on the premises, then, prior to the consummation of the rental agreement, the landlord shall either post in a conspicuous place on the premises, or at the place at which rental is paid a statement clearly indicating the standards by which such security/rental deposits are calculated, or shall provide each prospective tenant with a statement setting forth the standards.
Full Breakdown
There is no rental registry in Dorchester County the way tenant-heavy states impose one. Instead, renting real estate counts as doing business. Chapter 8 of the county code requires every person engaged in a business in the unincorporated county to obtain and annually renew a Dorchester County business license, and lessors of residential property fall within it, the fee set on gross rental receipts. The Town of Summerville imposes its own business license on rentals inside town limits. South Carolina sets no deposit cap, but Section 27-40-410 requires the deposit or an itemized deduction within 30 days, and a landlord of more than four adjoining units using different deposit standards must post or hand out those standards before signing.
Violations & Fines
Renting in the unincorporated county without a business license draws penalties under Chapter 8, including back license fees and fines. Withholding a deposit past 30 days without itemizing exposes the landlord to the tenant's damages under Section 27-40-410.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to register my Dorchester County rental?
Is there a limit on my security deposit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Dorchester County
Compare Dorchester County to another location·View the South Carolina rental property rules overview
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